Author: Claire Simpson

This is it final years… Christmas is nothing more than a distant memory, the New Year has come and gone, and your last term as an undergrad is well and truly underway. It can, of course, mean only one thing. The dreaded D word. 😨 With those 10,000 words looming more ominously than ever, here’s a few top tips on how to stay sane during dissertation. 1. Plan 📝 P-L-A-N. Please. You know it makes sense. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, whether you’re a sticky note addict, spreadsheet swat or full-on dissertation master planner –...

A hotly-contested staple of university assessment that reveals the true character of your course classmates, here’s a list of the types of people you’ll meet on a group project. The Leader 🧐 You can spot a leader within the first 30 seconds of starting any group task. They’re a sort of mythical being distinct from the rest of us mere mortals as they swagger in with their assertive comments, taking charge of the disparate group of fellow undergrads they see before them and designating responsibilities like a pro. They probably rehearse their best Alan Sugar impression in the mirror every morning....

University is a debt trap. You’ll be paying off that student loan well after you’ve retired. And the best of it, you won’t even be able to land a job after you graduate. Sound familiar? Don’t be taken in by popular myths on the cost of going to university. If you’re worried you won’t be able to afford higher education, allow me to debunk some of the common misconceptions around student finance… 1. You have to pay up front No. Believe it or not most people appreciate that students likely won’t be able to pull out a roll of...

It’s that time of year folks. Tinsel, mince pies and more festive films than you can shake a glitter covered stick at. Yes, the Christmas season is upon us, so sprinkle some cinnamon on your popcorn and settle down with these top five festive flicks… 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas *What’s this? What’s this? There’s colour everywhere. What’s this? There’s white things in there…* That’s right, the enduringly catchy stop-motion musical animation (genre bending much?) is a great way to kick off the Christmas season. In fact, it’s acceptable to watch Jack Skellington and his Halloween town pals as early as the annual...

Looking for a bite to eat on a student budget? Take a look at my roundup of the best chain restaurants in Brum… 1. Five Guys The trendier alternative to McDonalds, Five Guys offers the freshest fast food in town. The chain has attracted rave reviews from food critics in the UK and with more than 250,000 possible burger combinations, free peanuts to enjoy while you wait and classic skin-on fries, it’s easy to see why. Oh, and you can carry it all out in a brown grocery bag – authentic US style. 2. Bodega Mexican food doesn’t get any better than this....